May be nearing Omicron peak, UNC doctor says; so what's next?

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- The latest statewide data shows one in three COVID-19 tests are coming back positive and cases have shot up 80% since last Thursday.

People are expressing their fatigue with the pandemic and questioning whether an "endemic" is even possible.

"It's just like a rollercoaster," said Raleigh resident Ishmel Sutton. "Life is going up and down."

"I don't think it's ever going to end. I think this is our new normal, just get used to it," said Raleigh resident Sharon Metz.

ABC11 took these concerns to a leading physician at UNC Health.

Dr. David Wohl is an Infectious Disease Expert and he's offering a bit of good news regarding the Omicron variant

"I think we are hitting a peak and I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will soon, within the next two weeks or so, see a leveling off and then hopefully the beginnings of a downturn," said Wohl.

Cases may soon go down, but the crisis could continue.

Wohl said there is still a large population of vulnerable people being admitted to the hospital and until we get to the point where the vast majority of people can tolerate COVID-19, much like influenza or other respiratory viruses, we're still going to be in this.

"The key is getting that core group -- that critical mass of vulnerable people smaller -- because there's a lot of them right now and they're straining our hospital systems. So we got to get that number smaller," said Wohl.